At this point of time if you know blackened death metal, the historical events and stories about Poland’s extreme metal hitters Hate, then I can assure you by now reading this review that you may have heard a album or two. Since the band’s formation started back in 1991 being a band for over three decades into their career, Hate are back with a punishing, tormenting and the most diabolical releases they’ve done to date and with Rugia being the next chapter and released on Metal Blade Records, these Polish musicians in my humblest opinion very underrated and extremely talented of a band that doesn’t get much love when you compare to other legendary outfitters like Behemoth, Belphegor and God Dethroned. Following up to the last album in 2019 being Auric Gates Of Veles, Rugia is the twelfth full-length album by Hate and honestly, this is just everything you come to expect out of a album with such heavy emphasis of blackened death metal passages, atmospheric tones and passages and just a eviscerated production having the songs feel stronger and extremely dynamic making the production, craftsmanship and songwriting be as productive and professionally designed.
Rugia continues the vicious path by conveying their extreme sound as the album’s presentation polarizes to create a mysterious, unadulterated and filtered album that uses blackened death metal signatures, Behemoth-esque vocal patterns and instrumentals are the shining factor for this album. From their provocative lyrics and severe sound, this Polish band opens up the album with the track Rugia, a song representing HATE’s emotional, theoretic and carrying the torches into the darkest, coldest and isolated displays the band has done in recent memory. Then onto the album we hear songs such as Awakening the Gods Within, Sacred Dnieper and Exiles of Pantheon almost reminiscent of Septic Flesh and Katakylsm as Rugia‘s production and mixing departments are bombastic, inviting, ancient and menacing as the guitars, vocals, bass and drum work all showcases a reveal so disturbing that their composition work is really the highlight upon hearing this album.
Apart from earlier releases, this keeps the listener energized, entertained and captivated while maintaining such stamina and crushing the innocence of souls buried below into the cataclysmic speeds just in bursts your body. Lastly, Rugia is a headbanging album that introduces a new beginning for HATE as the album will definitely keep your eardrums shivered and pierced into the ceaseless talent they continued to deliver once again to create a perfecting touch of blackened death metal.
Overall Score: 9.0/10
Review by Jake Butler
